MOSCOW, May 17. /TASS/. Russia will consider any illegal steps to seize its property as blatant robbery that violates international law, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, commenting on the Estonian parliament’s decision to support the initiative to seize the Russian assets frozen by Tallinn in order to use them for Ukraine’s needs.

"The Baltic countries’ hostile steps against our country are nothing new, and they cannot surprise us. Moreover, as a rule, the Western puppeteers use the Baltic countries as a 'testing ground' to test the waters concerning various kinds of anti-Russian ideas," the diplomat said.

"As for the Estonian parliament’s initiative, we reiterate our stance that we define any illegal actions to seize Russian property as blatant robbery that violates international law provisions," Zakharova added.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman emphasized that "provided that this legislative initiative comes into effect, the Estonians will, in fact, create a historic precedent, as they will destroy the centuries-long foundations of the existence of Western society - the principle of inviolability of private property."

"In addition, the May 7 statement of IMF First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath said that the West’s plans to use the assets of the Russian Federation may undermine the functioning of the international monetary and financial system," she added.

Furthermore, Zakharova pointed out that during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s current visit to China, "in their joint statement, the parties strongly condemned 'the initiatives to seize assets and property of foreign countries' and emphasized 'the right of such countries to take retaliatory measures in accordance with international legal norms.'"

"Russia will unfailingly be guided by this inalienable right," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman concluded.